Abstract:Diabetic cataract is a prevalent and severe complication of diabetes mellitus. Its pathogenesis is complex and driven by multiple metabolic disorders. Conventional research methods are insufficient to fully clarify its complex pathophysiological processes. As a high-throughput and unbiased systems biology approach, metabolomics allows comprehensive profiling of small-molecule metabolites in biological systems, serving as a robust tool for exploring the metabolic signatures underlying this disease. This review systematically summarizes recent progress in the application of metabolomics to diabetic cataract research, with a focus on technological innovations in sample pretreatment, data acquisition, and bioinformatics analysis. This article elaborates on how these advances contribute to the identification of disease-specific biomarkers, the clarification of intrinsic molecular mechanisms, and the discovery of potential therapeutic targets, ultimately advancing the translational application of metabolomics in the early clinical diagnosis, prognostic assessment, and development of innovative therapeutic strategies for diabetic cataract.
